


end of all the endings

by parkadescandal



Series: 20kAu [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: 20kAu, First Date, Light Angst, M/M, Resolution, Some Fluff, TSCU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 06:58:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17095937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkadescandal/pseuds/parkadescandal
Summary: “I love you!” he shouts, bright eyed at 3 in the morning.“And I would die for you but if you don’t let me go back to sleep I’ll be the one to end you.”





	end of all the endings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [unvoidgear](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unvoidgear/gifts).



> sequel to "twenty karat solid gold" as a gift exchange for my sweet pal [unvoidgear](https://twitter.com/waytothesunrise). they requested a date, romantic stylez, and, well. i'm not done with these jerks yet, it seems, so it went a little differently than planned. it takes place a few weeks or so after the ending of 20k. 
> 
> some kinda happily ever after, or something like that.

“I love you,” Sora says, getting ready to leave in the morning, 

and

“I love you,” he whispers, right before running headlong into the nearest danger,

and

“I love you!” he shouts, bright eyed at 3 in the morning.

“And I would die for you but if you don’t let me go back to sleep I’ll be the one to end you,” Riku mutters in response to the looming threat he sees brewing in a mischievous grin not an inch away. 

For all that complaining about secrecy he’d still freeze up when Sora reached over to link their hands or wrap an arm around him or run an affectionate press of lips to his cheek in a semi-private moment. Unfortunately for him, the novelty hadn’t quite worn off and Sora feared it may never; there was a bubbling concoction of overwhelming adoration and devotion indefinitely and indelibly mixed up in his gut. 

Sora’s making up for lost time. For almost a whole day, every time he’d gone to say it it felt so foreign that his brain tripped all over itself to keep up and stopped him dead. But everything was empty without it--setting it free was the _only_ clear way to express how it seemed his whole heart was stretched into a grin so large and bright it was painful, so he did so at every blessed opportunity he was given. Wide awake or half asleep, on full training grounds or all alone, in a fracas or a quiet lull, any time he got the urge--the only remedy to a sudden creeping feeling in his chest was ‘ _I love you, I love you, I love you,’_ tossed around like preventative medicine. He’s head over heels. 

“Let’s play hooky,” Sora says, not in the slightest afeared for his life. 

“Why?” Riku says, alert but still blinking groggily.

“Because we have plans!”

“ _What_ plans, what are you talking about?” 

“You forgot about our date?” Sora mock gasps. “How could you?” 

“Which date?” 

“The one I just told you about three seconds ago! Shame on you.” 

“Oh, what I wouldn’t give to meet you for the first time again.” 

“Look at you, you’re such a romant--”

“It would mean I’d never have met you, which is what I want more than anything in all the worlds right now.” 

“Hey!” 

“Imagine how easily I’d just coast along if you’d never been born.” 

“Take it back,” he pouts, reaching down to fumble around for a moment before producing a rustling noise. “Who else would bring you breakfast in bed?” he says, fanning out a pair of granola bars with great triumph. 

Riku laughs, covering his face with one hand and turning away. 

“Okay, fine. You’re kind of useful, I guess.” 

Sora gives him a shove. 

“I’m serious, though. Get up. I’m taking you out.” 

“Now?” He sighs dramatically. “Where are we going?” 

“Outside.” 

He wasn’t being cryptic; another half hour of grumbling found them in the tower’s massive maze of gardens. Sora takes his hand in his and with the other points at every strange looking flower with an exclamation as soon as he makes them out, squinting in the dark. 

“You’ve pointed at that one before.” 

“Oh. Well, it’s still pretty.” 

“Yeah. It still is.” 

A bush full of lilac colored monstrosities catches Sora’s eye. 

“Look at _those_ ,” he gasps. “Those weren’t here last time.” 

“No. I don’t think they were.” Riku stops to admire them for a moment. “They’re probably my favorite so far.” 

Sora looks around conspiratorially, then sneaks over to the plant to pluck a solitary flower from it. He returns, holding it close to him then extending it outward with a flourish. 

“For you,” he says with a bow, but snatches it away before Riku can take it from his hand. Sora threads it through a hole on the lapel of his jacket. 

“It’s beautiful, thanks,” Riku says flatly, but gives the flower a little adjustment in its new seat and looks down at it fondly. “I’ll treasure it forever.” 

“You better.” 

They stand for a moment, looking around at the garden and all its splendors. 

“This…is not really what I expected it to be,” Sora says, deflating. 

“What do you mean?”

“I just thought it would be easier! _Going_ out with you should be simple because _hanging_ out with you is the easiest thing in the world, but. I just feel...kinda stupid.” 

“So you’re...what, _courting_ me?” Riku says, a smile starting to turn up the corner of his mouth. 

“I guess I’m trying to be romantic, if that’s what you mean,” he pouts. 

“Well,” he says with a resigned breath. “You’re a little late, but consider me thoroughly wooed, I guess.” 

“Great. Let’s go steady, then.” 

With that, he grabs him by the wrist and drags him back towards the direction of the tower, where they sneak down into the larder. Sora throws open the icebox and digs around until he emerges with two ice creams, one of which he thrusts into Riku’s hand before slamming the icebox back shut and dragging him back out towards the winding staircase. 

A stretch of comfortable silence finds them towards the top of the tower. Sora peers out a large window in the shape of a half moon, surveying his vantage points. Satisfied, he pops his ice cream bar in his mouth, pushes the window open, and starts to crawl his way out of it. 

“I’d be just inconsolate if you fell off of this tower and died,” Riku drawls, sticking his head out to watch him climb towards a plateau on the roof. “But I’m sure you’d want me to move on, so I won’t get _too_ wrapped up.”

Sora grips the wall with one hand and gestures out, ice cream included, with the other. 

“Ridiculous. You’d never love again. You can’t replace me! You would never manage it on your own, anyway,” he sasses, resuming the ascent. 

“It would be the perfect crime,” Riku says, carefully propping himself up to follow suit. “I can hear it now. ‘Oh, Master Yen Sid! It was horrible. He was showing off and slipped off the roof; I couldn’t catch him in time. I told him not to do it! Whatever will I do? Oh, Master Yen Sid. What will I tell the worlds? How will I announce the loss of the great hero of light?’” 

“Very funny,” Sora says, extending a hand to help him up. “And after all I’ve done for you. You don’t deserve me.” He smiles, and they meet eyes for a moment, finally at the top. “I guess that’s not true. It’s always been the other way around.” 

They settle on the roof just as the sun starts to poke its way out, and finish their ice cream in silence. 

“I’m locked in, you know,” Riku says after a moment. 

Sora throws a look at him. 

“Well, _of course_!” he says. “What are you saying? That I’m not?” He can feel his tone getting sharper. “You think that I’m just gonna give up? That I’m going to break your heart?”

Well. He’d already set that precedent, a little, and the stony expression he received in return reinforced it. Sora sighs. 

“I wish you would quit acting like I’m making this all up just to make you feel better.”

Riku looks away, shifting his shoulders.

“Wait. That’s not it, is it.” 

“I… I didn’t think you were trying to make _me_ feel better,” Riku says. 

Sora is shocked silent for a moment before he launches back in, pitch increasing by the word. 

“So you think _I’m_ feeling guilty and that’s the only reason I’m doing this? That’s why all the complaining?”

Riku gives a vague little mutter of affirmation. 

“And this after you chewed me out for not respecting your feelings?” Sora shouts. “Unbelievable!”

“I just don’t... I’m just not used to--”

“Wait! So were you ever planning to, you know, _talk to me_ about this? Ever?”

“And say what?” 

“So no! You weren’t! So the only reason you even told me anything in the first place is because I ticked you off so bad you couldn’t help telling me off for it, huh?” 

“I--” Riku says, but he’s got nothing for it. He lets his defense trail away and puts his hands into his lap in defeat. 

“You are the most annoying person in the universe!” Sora shouts, and then, in the next breath, “I love you so much!” 

Riku laughs softly. 

“Sorry.”

“I don’t know, though. Are you? Would it kill you to, maybe, say it back every once in a while?” 

Riku covers his mouth with his hand after a sharp intake of breath, hanging his head. “You know, I--”

“Because I’m locked in, too,” Sora says sternly. “It’s gonna be you. There’s no universe in which it’s not gonna be you.” He crosses his arms. “And maybe I didn’t realize it as fast as you did but that doesn’t mean that I mean it any less. I love you. I’ll tell you I’m sorry as many times as it takes, but I can’t help feeling like you’re holding it over me. It makes me... I’m worried that…” He trails off with a sigh. “Can you forgive me? After all that, do you even still feel the same way?” 

A terribly long moment passes. It may well only be a second, but any longer and the tension of it may well have knocked Sora dead. In the softest voice, fighting to push out every syllable, Riku finally responds. 

“You know that I do.” Riku reaches over a hand to place it on his knee. “It’s funny,” he says. “All things considered, I… Nothing’s changed. You’re still…” 

“I’m still _what_?” 

“The love of my life,” he concedes softly, unable to suppress a reluctant smile. He gets a megawatt grin in return--Sora scrambles to his feet and wobbles for balance on the incline, then arches his back and cups his hands to his mouth to _crow_ , a little habit he’d picked up from Peter Pan. 

“ _What_ are you doi--”

“ _Hey, everyone!_ ” Sora lets fly to the universe, “ _We’re in love!_ ” 

“Stop, _no_ , shut _up--_ ” Riku starts to protest, but reaches up to grab him as he nearly tumbles headlong off of the roof. He braces them down with one arm and clutches him for dear life with the other. Sora only laughs. “You idiot,” Riku says. “You idiot. If you really fell off this roof, there’s no telling-- I... I might just walk right off it after you. I’d never recover. I’m in love with you. I love you. I love you too.” 

“Great! Does that mean you’ll go out with me again?” Sora grins smugly, snuggling into his protective embrace. “I’ll pick you up same time tomorrow, we can--” 

Riku kisses him then, long and slow, newly risen sun playing voyeur while they remain suspended, securely grounded but feeling like midair. 

**Author's Note:**

> is this the [END of all the ENDINGS](https://youtu.be/TFz8WkEli0I) my BROKEN BONES are MENDING with all these nights we're spending, up on the ROOF with a schoolgirl CRUSH, drinking beer out of plastic CUPS so you fancy me not fancy STUFF baby all at once _this is enough_  
>   
> 
> thanks again to [pineovercoat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pineovercoat) for preliminary read through and encouragement :)


End file.
